What role does religion, morality, and worldview play in the creation of public policy?
Maria Colon Jones
Liberty University PPOL 501
April 9, 2016
Public policy can be defined as a system of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action by which a government maintains order or addresses the needs of its citizens through actions defined by its constitution. Public policy can also be viewed as the fundamental policy on which laws rest, especially policies not yet established. The state or government, through their policies, procedures and actions, place moral ideas in the social and legal views of a political regime that these ideas serve to shape the quality of its citizens’ character. Along with morality, religion and worldview play a very critical role in the formation of policies in our society.
Morality is part of everyone’s life and society. No one would claim to live an entirely a-moral life or live in a society without some commonly accepted
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As the First Amendment reminds us, it guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual’s religious practices. There are other issues that are fundamental to the development of public policy, such as the civil rights of women and gays to be treated equally under the U.S. Constitution. Most religions have an interest in issues of justice and the social welfare of our nation. As members of the community and participants of the political playing field, those members have a right to speak for what they regard as the moral aspect of public policy. An example of how religion impacts policy is clearly demonstrated in the “Religious Freedom Bill” proposed by Indiana Governor Mike Pence. In this bill, Pence seeks to separate Indiana from the gay rights